Ernest D. Martin takes Bible students into the rich text of the letter to the church at Colossae and the highly personal letter to Philemon. Martin draws on his experience as pastor, teacher, and writer to engage the reader in the complexities of the text. All the while, he focuses on a Christ-centered biblical theology and the amazingly revelant pastoral concerns that shaped these letters. In commenting on Colossians, Martin highlights a wholistic Christology in contrast to the past and present perversions of the gospel. In the section on Philemon, he draws attention to the social implications of the koinonia of faith for the servants of Jesus Christ. 344 Pages.

The Believers Church Bible Commentary presents the best of modern scholarship in an accessible, practical form. The commentary emphasizes the special concerns of readers from the Believers Church tradition.

At the end of each chapter, an article on "The Text in the Life of the Church" highlights how the Scripture passage applies to the daily practice of Christian faith. Some of the themes that the Believers Church Bible Commentary underscores are believer's baptism, submission to the rule of Christ in the church, and following Christ in personal sacrifice and service.

V. George Shillington sees this letter as Paul's personal testimony about his ministry of reconciliation among the Corinthian Christians (chapters 1-9) and his ministry in defending the truth of the gospel (chapters 10-13). The thread that ties the two parts together is Paul's conviction on pastoral ministry under the banner of Christ. Paul insists that ministry is to be borne in affliction like that of Christ crucified. In raising the crucified Messiah out of the old creation, God has inaugurated a new creation, in which believers already participate. The only boast allowed is in the Lord, not in one's own achievements or elevated experiences. 312 Pages.

Chalmer E. Faw brings Acts to life for our day. He blends thorough biblical scholarship with wisdom from extensive and varied experience in missionary work and Bible teaching. His careful exposition of the book of Acts is supplemented with literary and theological discussion.The key word in Acts is witness for Jesus Christ, from Jerusalem to the ends of the earth. God's Spirit anoints the church at Pentecost, leads believers in handling conflicts between converts new and old, and empowers Christians to overcome false beliefs and magic. In Acts, Luke tells this dramatic story with subtle humor. 336 Pages.

Unveiling Empire aims to be a fresh look, with new insights and interpretations, at the apocalyptic visions described in The Book of Revelation.'

Paul's letter to the young church in Rome has dramatically influenced Christians through the ages. It has been described as a 'gateway into heaven'. In this letter Paul gives a complete picture of the gospel - the fullest and grandest in the New Testament. His horizons are vast, taking in time and eternity, the past, present and future of humanity, and the great themes of justification, sanctification and glorification. This is the most personally rooted of John Stott's expositions, for he confesses to have re-encountered Paul's letter constantly throughout his Christian life. At the same time, her interacts with other commentators, some of whom are challenging interpretations that are time-honoured and traditional. He sees Romans as a Christian manifesto for our increasingly unstable world, emphasising the good news of freedom through Jesus Christ. Paul's vision of this freedom is astonishing. It overcomes ethnic conflict, the darkness of moral guilt, condemnation from God and alienation from others. It is a freedom to serve God and our neighbours in love.

Ephesians presents readers with a volatile mix of assurance, exhilarating worship, and forceful exhortation-a bracing challenge to today's church. The letter convinces Thomas R. Yoder Neufeld that the grace-gift of faithfulness leads to worship. Power, peace, and new creation are gifts of grace equipping the church to participate in God's reconciling embrace.This commentary guides readers to a life-changing encounter with Ephesians, probing interpretations, refreshing Christian teaching, and calling everyone to "walk" accordingly, with a song in heart and throat. 402 Pages.

Because of language, cultural, time, and geographical barriers interpreting the minor prophets has at times frustrated and even defied Old Testament scholars. In response to this frustration, Robert Chisholm has written this volume. "Interpreting the Minor Prophets" surveys the structure, message, and theological themes of each of the twelve minor prophets. But the author does not stop with a mere survey. As Ryken and others have demonstrated, literary approaches are sweeping into the arena of biblical studies and, according to Chisholm, this way of studying the Bible is long overdue and most welcome. Therefore, he emphasizes the literary and rhetorical aspects of each prophets' message as the key to understanding the prophetic books.

"Interpreting the Minor Prophets" is an ideal text or resource for anyone seeking thorough information on any or all of the minor prophets.

Pleins' exposition reveals in the Psalms the core of a liberating worship that grasps the realities of individual suffering as well as the stern demands of social justice. Presenting a stirring fresh translation of many of the ancient hymns and prayers of the psalter, Pleins offers new perspectives on their meaning for the individual as well as for the community, from biblical times to the present.

Life is a hot mess. There's the bedlam of getting out the door in the morning. The constant breaking down of our homes and bodies and the cars we drive. And the institutions that promise to help are often no better. We are surrounded by the constant disorder of governments and disappointed by "organized" religion, the very entities that tell us they can provide us sanity and security. Instead, they leave us scratching our heads or licking our wounds. Chaos surrounds us, and at times, it seems to rule our souls, our families, and our world. But does chaos always end in failure or flaw? What if chaos was more than the check engine light of lost causes? What if chaos was the raw material out of which God creates? In the beginning God brought order from chaos, filling the chaos with a beautiful creation, and he's been doing it ever since. Where you and I may experience confusion and disorder, God sees an opportunity for something new--for a rebirth, a renewal, and a renovation. God did this in the beginning, he did it again at the cross, and with renewed vision for our disordered world today, we look to God to do it again. Inspired by the powerful picture of creation in Genesis 1:2, author Jessica LaGrone challenges the hope-destroying belief that God has abandoned us in our broken relationships, our pain, and our grief. In the midst of our out-of-control lives, God is there, and he specializes in making new things from the chaos threatens to drown us. When we experience chaos in our own lives and everything feels like it is falling apart, God is just getting started. When the Spirit of God hovers, chaos can give birth to hope.

Throughout the Gospel of John Jesus poses a series of questions: "What are you looking for?" "Do you want to be healed?" "Why do I speak to you at all?" as well as the most poignant, addressed to Peter, "Do you love me?" Michael Crosby's reflections on these questions take us into the heart of John's gospel. He highlights an important theme: the tension between a model of the church that gives emphasis to the Petrine principle of apostolic authority and a model of the church -- characterized by the Beloved Disciple -- that gives greater emphasis to loving service and discipleship. As Crosby shows, it is in balancing the roles of both Peter and the Beloved Disciple that the church best reflects the spirit of Christ.

The Believers Church Bible Commentary presents the best of modern scholarship in an accessible, practical form. The commentary emphasizes the special concerns of readers from the Believers Church tradition.

At the end of each chapter, an article on "The Text in the Life of the Church" highlights how the Scripture passage applies to the daily practice of Christian faith. Some of the themes that the Believers Church Bible Commentary underscores are believer's baptism, submission to the rule of Christ in the church, and following Christ in personal sacrifice and service.

The Bible is at the heart of BRF's work, and this special anniversary collection is a celebration of the Bible for BRF's centenary year. Bringing together a fantastically wide-ranging writing team of authors, supporters and well-wishers from all areas of BRF's work, this resource is designed to help us go deeper into the story of the Bible and reflect on how we can share it in our everyday lives. Including sections which lead us through the Bible narrative as well as thematic and seasonal sections, it is the perfect daily companion to resource your spiritual journey. Contributors include: Ian Adams, John Bell, Inderjit Bhogal, Amy Boucher Pye, Stephen Cottrell, Steven Croft, Mark Greene, Isabelle Hamley, Bob Hartman, Bev Jullien, Krish Kandiah, Paul Kerensa, Ann Lewin, Bex Lewis, Chine McDonald, Lucy Moore, Rob Parsons, John Pritchard, Jennifer Rees Larcombe, Pam Rhodes, Margaret Silf, Jo Swinney, Stephen Timms, Graham Tomlin and Justin Welby.

'The followers of Jesus are to be different,' writes John Stott, 'different from both the nominal church and the secular world, different from both the religious and the irreligious. The Sermon on the Mount is the most complete delineation anywhere in the New Testament of the Christian counter-culture. Here is a Christian value-system, ethical, standard, religious devotion, attitude to money, ambition, lifestyle and network of relationships - all of which are totally at variance with those in the non-Christian world. And this Christian counter-culture is the life of the Kingdom of God, a fully human life indeed but lived out under the divine rule.' In his careful exposition of the Sermon on the Mount, John Stott accurately expounds the biblical text and relates it to life today. Above all, the author says, he wants to let Christ speak this sermon again, this time to the modern world.

Classic IVP series now rejacketed and retypeset

Some women of the Hebrew scriptures are well known, but many others are barely remembered. Even when they are, we often don't pause on them long enough to think about what we might learn from them. Unveiled, written with frankness and humour and illustrated with striking artwork from a young Oxford-based artist, explores the stories of 40 women in 40 days. Each reflection ends with a short application to everyday life, guidance for further thought and a prayer.

"Everyone should carry a small Bible or pocket edition of the Gospels and should find at least a few minutes every day to read the word of God." (Pope Francis, 2014) These four accounts of the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ represent the heart of the Christian story and the truth of our faith. Containing so many of the familiar Bible stories and parables, each of the Gospel writers tells the story of Jesus from a different angle, yet read together they form a rich and dynamic picture of the Son of God. This edition of the Holy Gospels is an ideal size to take with you anywhere, so you can get to know Jesus better and deepen your relationship with him every day. Key features: * Contains the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John alone. * Uses the New Revised Standard translation (NRSV), a translation which holds the Imprimatur of the Catholic Church. * Includes an extra colour section on the background and meaning of the Gospels to help new readers understand the context around the Scriptures.

Combining three incredibly importantbooks for the teaching of the Church, The Goldsworthy Trilogy offers acomplete and comprehensive guide tounderstanding the gospel throughoutthe whole of Scripture. Hugely popular, this collection is being released in thisspecial format and will be an essentialguide to be used again and again forthose who seek to understand the Biblein the light of who Jesus is.Straightforward in his approach, Goldsworthy looks at how the Bible canonly be understood through the eyesof the gospel. This being the base ofhis interpretation, he studies the OldTestament and its application for today, Israels wisdom literature and its role inthe Christian life and the purpose andcontemporary relevance of the bookof Revelation. This trilogy follows theBible chronologically to give the readera complete overview of evangelicalbiblical interpretation forming anessential one-stop reference that willlast a lifetime.

"I know dogs in my life the way I know people and cats and trees and landscapes. Dogs help me shape my thoughts, feelings, and prayer life. Dogs have taught me attributes I feel in myself when reflecting and praying. "Dogs have shown me the spirit of being loyal, glad, overwhelmed, protective, committed, vigilant, patient, kind, energetic, discerning, forgiving. Unfolding these attributes of dog life opens my own spiritual being. My relationship with dog mirrors my relationship with God." In Dog Psalms the reader can use a dog's attributes to speak to God.

This book of daily Bible readings and reflections for Advent and Christmas is based around spiritual insights gleaned from some of the best-loved poets of the past - T.S. Eliot, George Herbert, Tennyson and Auden, among others. While they come from different ages and backgrounds, they wrestled with the same questions that we do, about God, love, hope, and suffering. This book is not a literary study of their work, but a quest to see what they can tell us about life and faith today. Their poems are quoted in short sections, with suggestions about what they might mean for us now. There are so many aspects of God's love for us and ours for him that are hard to grasp. While we can glimpse only part of the picture, it often seems that, in poetry, our deepest yearnings can come to the surface. As we travel the road to Christmas in the company of these great poets, we will find our minds enlarged and our hearts touched with something of the wonder and joy of this special season. The Bible readings are drawn from the lectionary.

Prayer is at the heart of BRF's work, and this special illustrated anniversary collection is a celebration of prayer for BRF's centenary year. It can be used in a range of different settings, from individual devotions to corporate worship. Including sections on prayers of preparation, seasonal prayers, and themed prayers for special times and hard times, it is the perfect daily companion to resource your spiritual journey. Part 1: Approaching God Part 2: Prayers for the journey Part 3: Seasons of the Christian year Part 4: Together through the generations Part 5: How should we live?

Tom Wright has completed a tremendous task: to provide comprehensive guides to all the books of the New Testament, and to furnish them with his own fresh translation of the entire text. Each short passage is followed by a highly readable commentary with helpful background information. The format makes it appropriate also for daily study.

Writing in an accessible and anecdotal style, Tom Wright opens up to us the wisdom of the letters of James, Peter, John and Judah (Jude). A vital resource for every church and every Christian, these letters are full of clear practical advice for Christians. Written for those new to the faith, they warn of the dangers and difficulties a young Christian community would face both within and without, while revelling in the delight of budding faith, hope and life. Today, these letters are just as relevant as they were two thousand years ago. They continue to help Christians to live with genuine faith in a complex modern age.

Together in one special volume, selections from the best of beloved, bestselling author C. S. Lewis’s classic works for readers contemplating the ‘grand miracle’ of Jesus’s resurrection.

Preparing for Easter is a concise, handy companion for the faithful of all Christian traditions and the curious to help them deepen their knowledge and consideration of this holy season – a time of reflection as we consider Jesus’s sacrifice and his joyous rise from the dead.

Carefully curated, each selection in Preparing for Easter draws on a major theme in Lewis’s writings on the Christian life, as well as others that consider why we can have confident faith in what happened on the cross.